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A head of the Philippine armed forces said that the military posture in the disputed waters has created a “very tense” situation. Beijing has claimed almost the entire South China Sea as its own.
Philippine Army General Gilbert Gapay told reporters on Tuesday that China’s aggressive stance puts other countries at risk of conflict in the waters.
Speaking on a forum, he said: “It’s very tense. The situation has now become more tense because China is conducting its own unilateral exercises. It even fired its own missile.
“It’s really a potential flash point in this part of the world.”
A visiting Chinese foreign minister in Malaysia said the waters should not be “packed with warships.”
Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein welcomed his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
The couple discussed their concerns regarding the South China Sea, as well as other issues.
After the meeting, Wang said at a press conference: “We both agreed to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea with the vision that the South China Sea should not be the ground for great power struggle, packed with warships.
He added: “China and ASEAN have the ability and the wisdom as well as the responsibility to maintain peace and equality in the South China Sea.”
READ MORE: South China Sea: US ‘gears up’ to send more fighter jets
Wang criticized the United States for its maneuvers in the South China Sea.
He said the United States was seeking a “Pacific NATO” with India, Australia and Japan.
Wang said: “What he seeks is to preach the outdated Cold War mentality to initiate confrontation between different groups and blocs and fuel geopolitical competition.”
He added: “This strategy contravenes the spirit of mutual benefit and win-win that East Asian cooperation has pursued. It impacts the regional cooperation architecture with ASEAN at the center and will eventually undermine East Asia’s prospects for peace and development.
“In this sense, this strategy itself is a huge underlying security risk.”
Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told ASEAN members that the United States is urging the rule of law and respect for sovereignty in disputed waters.
He said: “Beijing has carried out aggressive campaigns of environmental coercion and devastation.”
In the Philippines, General Gapay blamed China and the United States for creating uncertainty in the South China Sea.
He said: “The situation in the South China Sea remains volatile and uncertain due to the actions of certain players in the area, particularly China and the United States, to include the quadruple alliance of the United States, Australia, Japan and India.”
He added: “We have seen aggressive action by China from the recovery of the area to the deployment of some warships there. Their coast guards are very visible in the area ”.
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